Alerts in South Korea
Korean Professor Suspended Over Controversy
Alert
Date: 09 February 2006
Sociology Professor Kang Jeong-koo was suspended from giving lectures by the boards of directors of the Dongguk University, claiming his alleged pro-North Korean remarks disgraced the school’s prestige. The Professor was indicted in December 2005 for violating the National Security Law, after posting an article on the Internet earlier last year, which described the 1950-53 Korean War as a `war for reunification’.
Korean-German Scholar Sentence Postponed, Not Lifted
Alert
Date: 20 August 2004
Korean-German scholar Song Du-yul, was freed in July 2004 following the Seoul High Court’s decision to sentence him to three years in jail with the term suspended for five years. The Asian Human Rights Commission, however, issued an appeal the 20 August 2004 stating that it is still deeply concerned by Song being prosecuted according to the National Security Law (NSL), which has long been used by the Korean government to suppress people's rights and punish those with differing political opinions, thereby stalling progress towards democracy and reconciliation in Korea.